In this blog, Richard Peters, Senior Content Creator at Whiteoaks, discusses:
- Why rapid, transparent communication is essential in a crisis
- How to keep every channel and stakeholder aligned under pressure
- Practical steps to prepare for – and bounce back from – the next incident
Outages, data breaches and cyber-attacks are just some of the critical crises that B2B tech companies can face. In such events, businesses must respond quickly, transparently and effectively to maintain trust and avoid reputational damage.
Delayed or vague responses can lead to speculation and a loss of confidence among customers, employees, investors and the media.
When updates are slow, customers often assume the worst and may take it as a sign to switch to competitors to protect their own operations. For employees, silence or ambiguity may breed rumours and gossip, while thin or delayed statements may leave investors guessing (and worrying) about financial exposure.
And when it comes to the media, if there is a delay in information being shared, there is a danger journalists may fill the gap with leaked material and external commentary, shaping a narrative that the business no longer controls.
In crisis scenarios, preparation is key. That’s why having a crisis communications strategy in place is essential, allowing business leaders to take prompt action to address any eventuality.
Here are three simple steps to follow to maintain reputation and trust during a crisis:
Be armed and ready to take action
Even if the exact nature of the crisis is still being confirmed, it’s important to get ahead of the inevitable speculation.
Pre-prepared statements can be developed to help in such scenarios and tailored to different audiences, typically including customers, employees, partners and the media. Messaging can then be adjusted as more information about the issues comes to light.
This approach allows the business to publish a holding statement inside half an hour, signalling control while facts are still being gathered.
It is something we saw in action with M&S’s handling of its high profile cyber incident which impacted online sales, hiring and logistics for several weeks. M&S’s initial response pointed to a prepared crisis comms strategy which allowed it to put this kind of proactive communication into practice to mitigate the impact on its reputation.
In the absence of an immediate fix, it concentrated on delivering regular updates across all customer touchpoints – on the website, via email and social media – in order to manage uncertainty.
Even a short period of negative news coverage can have far-reaching impacts. Headlines fade but screenshots and search results don’t. If you don’t tackle the issue fast, the story could keep coming back.
Keep every channel aligned
Organisations need to issue clear and coherent messaging to all stakeholders quickly in the event of a crisis.
Internal teams need to be aligned to avoid conflicting statements reaching customers, partners, suppliers and employees, with tailored messaging for different end audiences depending on how they are potentially affected.
But coordinating consistent external messaging can be complex where multiple internal teams are involved. This is where experienced communications specialists can help, providing guidance, driving activity and shaping the messaging.
Their first job is to gather confirmed facts, then craft plain-language statements tailored to each audience. By coordinating timing and content across channels, they reduce confusion and help preserve trust.
Prepare for the next incident
Post-crisis, PR firms can play a key role in supporting brands in telling stakeholders what they’ve fixed, what safeguards are now in position and where they can get support.
Beyond that, they need to make sure they are prepared for the next issue, or incident to happen, as it surely will. Once again, that’s where having a crisis communications strategy in place that enables firms to rapidly initiate a course of action, can be invaluable.
No firm can dodge every attack or controversy, but it can choose how it reacts: silence can scar a reputation, while a swift, candid reply can highlight resilience.
When the worst happens, a plan for fast, clear and open communication must be ready to go. With the right response, even the most challenging situations can be met with clarity and confidence.
Need help putting a watertight crisis‑comms plan in place before the next incident hits? Get in touch with our team today.
